Good Morning. Welcome to The Wire’s daily news roundup. Each day, our staff gathers the top China business, finance, and economics headlines from a selection of the world’s leading news organizations.
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The Wall Street Journal
- Chinese Policymakers Look Focused on Domestic Demand to Lift Economy — China’s finance ministry introduces incentives to stimulate investment and consumption.
- Baidu’s AI Assistant Reaches Milestone of 200 Million Monthly Active Users — The company’s artificial intelligence-empowered Ernie Assistant is integrated into its flagship Baidu search-engine app and on personal computers.
- China’s CTG Duty Free to Buy LVMH’s DFS Greater China Stores — Shares of China Tourism Group Duty Free rose after the company said it plans to acquire LVMH’s DFS travel retail business in Hong Kong and Macau.
- ASM International Logs Strong Orders as China Business, Advanced Tech Pick Up — Orders climbed to roughly €800 million in the fourth quarter on strong demand from producers of integrated circuits that power smartphones and other devices.
- Rare-Earth Magnet Maker Raises $215 Million to Amp Up U.S. Supply — The investment in Noveon comes as the U.S. pushes to develop domestic sources of a vital electronics component that China has under a chokehold.
- China Reports Robust Economic Growth, Thanks to Resilient Exports — Momentum slowed recently, with last year’s economic performance underscoring how China’s growth has become increasingly lopsided.
- China’s Birthrate Sinks to Record Low — The number of births fell to the lowest level in decades, while the country’s population shrank for a fourth consecutive year.
- Taiwan’s Flagship Chip Maker Charts a Future Beyond Taiwan — TSMC has for decades provided a “Silicon Shield” to its namesake island. Now it sees both business and geopolitical reasons for going big in the U.S.
- Fed Turmoil Is Threatening Dollar Supremacy Just as China Pushes the Yuan — Economists see a politicized central bank damaging investor confidence in the U.S. system while Beijing advances in globalizing its currency.
- U.S. Blockade Shuts Off China, Cuba From Venezuelan Oil — Only U.S.-bound tankers of crude have left the oil-exporting country since the arrest of Nicolás Maduro, a new report says.
- Opinion: China Hits the Economic Doldrums — Exports are booming, but the property bust is killing household wealth. By The Editorial Board.
The Financial Times
- UK approves China’s ‘mega’ embassy in London — Ministers give green light to project after months of political wrangling.
- The reality of trying to make US manufacturing great again — The fortunes of furniture makers in North Carolina and Foshan in China show the impact of Trump’s tariff regime.
- Two-speed China: swaths of economy suffer as exports soar — Beijing trumpets trade and technology success yet many regions and people struggle amid an anaemic domestic outlook.
- TikTok owner ByteDance targets Alibaba with AI-led cloud drive — Deep discounts, vast data and bespoke AI agents fuel new challenge in China’s multibillion-dollar enterprise market.
- The dangerous triumph of neo-mercantilism — Liberal trade policies are giving way to frictions that could lead to outright conflict.
- Trade Armageddon has failed to materialise — U.S. import duties are the highest since the second world war, but the rest of the world is showing resilience.
- China registers lowest number of births since records began — Population falls for fourth year in a row as policymakers struggle with demographic crisis.
- China’s GDP grows 5% in 2025 as exports offset weak domestic outlook — Latest data reflects two-speed economy as Beijing grapples with Donald Trump’s trade policies.
- Beijing pours cash into Belt and Road financing in global resources grab — Spending on Xi Jinping’s signature overseas investment project hit a record in 2025, new research shows.
- China battles price wars in fight against deflation — Regulators launch ‘anti-involution’ investigations against internet companies.
- China flies drone into Taiwan’s airspace for first time — Surveillance flight over disputed atoll highlights Beijing’s growing aerial capabilities.
- Brussels in move to bar Chinese suppliers from EU’s critical infrastructure — Proposed Cybersecurity Act would phase out groups such as Huawei and ZTE from telecom networks and solar energy systems.
- David Webb, Hong Kong corporate governance activist, 1965-2026 — The polymath investor single-handedly took on the city’s financial establishment.
- Nvidia suppliers halt H200 output after China blocks chip shipments — Parts makers concerned about whether Beijing will allow imports of AI processors.
- Opinion: China will clinch the AI race — Energy abundance, open-source models and manufacturing strengths will push Beijing into first place. By Tej Parikh.
- Opinion: Why China has so many robot IPOs — Viral, dancing machines are far from commercial reality but trade restrictions are driving market activity. By Lizzi Lee.
The New York Times
- Starmer Approves Contentious Chinese Mega-Embassy in London — The government approved plans for a massive new Chinese Embassy near Tower Bridge, disappointing critics who fear it will enable spying.
- The Chinese Island Where Dreams of Real Estate Glory Never Die — Intended as China’s version of Dubai’s palm-shaped artificial island, Ocean Flower Island is a $12 billion monument to debt-fueled economic excess.
- How Trump Made Life Difficult for International Students and Wisconsin — Last fall, the number of new international undergraduates fell by 25 percent compared to the previous year. That drop poses financial and competitive challenges.
- China’s Birthrate Plunges to Lowest Level Since 1949 — China’s population fell for a fourth straight year and its birthrate tumbled as policymakers failed to slow a demographic crisis.
- Real Estate Crash Weighs on China’s Economic Growth — Falling apartment prices have erased the savings of millions of Chinese households, but exports lifted the economy to 5 percent growth last year.
- Thousands of Chinese Fishing Boats Quietly Form Vast Sea Barriers — China is practicing vast maneuvers that could be used to disrupt U.S. naval movement, a New York Times analysis of ship data reveals.
- Opinion: How War With China Begins — Even more likely than an all-out invasion of Taiwan may be gray zone pressures, such as cutting internet cables. By Nicholas Kristof.
- Opinion: Trump Is Obsessed With Oil, but Chinese Batteries Will Soon Run the World — China isn’t just building gigantic amounts of power. Its businesses are reshaping technological foundations to electrify the world. By Dan Wang.
Caixin
- China Penalizes Social Media Influencer $12 Million for Stock Market Manipulation — Regulator says influencer used online posts to boost stocks before selling.
- Cover Story: Digital Yuan Overhaul Targets Mass Adoption, Cross-Border Use — Landmark changes introduce interest payments, smart contracts for businesses and a blockchain-based platform for global trade.
- China’s Coal Output Hits Record as Growth Slows Under Clampdown — Authorities clamp down on overproduction as falling prices and environmental concerns drive a strategic shift in energy oversight.
- Beijing Targets Former Nuclear Energy Leader in Corruption Probe — Gu Jun, who helped shape China’s nuclear rise, is under investigation for alleged misconduct following his retirement from a top role at CNNC.
- China Pushes to Expand Corporate Pension Coverage to Bolster Safety Net — New guidelines offer flexibility on contributions and bureaucratic hurdles, but stop short of the tax incentives experts say are needed to woo cost-conscious businesses.
South China Morning Post
- Beijing builds its own ‘small yard, high fence’ to shut out US tech — These restrictions signify a new phase in the US-China tech war where ‘offensive and defensive roles have shifted’, says an analyst.
- China readies Davos sales pitch as US grants Beijing window of opportunity — Vice-Premier He Lifeng is expected to pitch China as a reliable partner, contrasting Beijing’s stability with Trump’s unilateralism before US president’s address.
- Did China, Russia, Iran joint naval drills in South Africa signal a Brics shift? — Observers describe high-profile exercise involving economic grouping as largely symbolic rather than step towards military alliance.
- Shanghai maps global financial hub plan to 2035, for world-class and socialist metropolis — Economic powerhouse has sights set on AI, advanced manufacturing and global financial services, reflecting a national 5-year plan’s first explicit financial-centre directive.
- China challenges US in AI drug race, but rivals still reliant on each other — While US biotech firms increase use of Chinese clinical data, Chinese firms need US counterparts for monetisation, investor and scientist says.
Nikkei Asia
- China’s solar giants warn of record $5bn loss despite anti-price war bid — Companies hit by oversupply, trade tensions and rising material prices.
- USAID’s demise has created Asian vacuum for China to fill, says ex-official — US and Japan must find new ways to help region, former agency executive urges.
- China-North Korea trade jumps 26% as relations thaw — 2025 increase follows decline stemming from Pyongyang-Moscow military ties.
- China and Russia dominate nuclear power push with 90% of new reactors — Beijing, Moscow expand influence through development and exports to emerging countries.
- US battery makers shift supply chain from China to South Korea — Washington’s restrictions on drone and eVTOL batteries spur diversification.
Bloomberg
- China’s Big Economic Anchors Show Growth Divide Is Getting Wider — Gains in emerging industries have not been sufficient to offset the downturn of cyclical sectors, and downward pressure on all cyclical industries will stay unless real estate stabilizes.
- China Deepens PDD Probe After Fistfights With Regulators — The scrutiny has slowed marketing campaigns ahead of the Lunar New Year and delayed ongoing projects, as staff prepare for further inspections and interviews.
- China Plants Another Africa Marker in Campaign to Globalize Yuan — Zambia is the first African country to let Chinese mining companies pay taxes in yuan. It probably won’t be the last, as Beijing seeks to internationalize the yuan and dilute its dollar dependence.
- China Reaches 12 Million Tons of Soy Purchases to Meet Pledge — China has purchased roughly 12m tons of US soybeans in the last three months, clearing a closely watched hurdle and meeting a pledge outlined by the Trump administration in November.
- Opinion: The New China Trade Shock Is Just Beginning — While trade is projected to expand this year, it’s expected to do so at a slower clip, with the importance of demand abroad underscored by recent economic figures. By Daniel Moss.
Reuters
- As US orders fade, Chinese salespeople face tough grind in new markets — China sold more goods to the world than ever in 2025, but export saleswoman Aimee Chen says it was the hardest of her roughly two-decade career.
- Tesla poised to be early winner as Canada opens door to Chinese-made EVs — This is thanks to its early efforts to ship cars from its Shanghai plant there and its established Canadian sales network, experts say.
- Chinese exports of rare earth magnets to Japan fall in December — Chinese exports of rare earth magnets to Japan in December fell 8% from November, when a diplomatic spat left market players concerned about future shipments.
- China must strike right balance between demand and supply, says President Xi — China should maintain manufacturing as a reasonable share of its economy and strike the right balance between consumption and investment as well as between demand and supply.
- China’s wedding dress sellers pin hopes on rise in marriages — Wedding vendors at Huqiu Bridal City in Suzhou, one of China’s largest wedding dress markets, are hopeful the country’s positive marriage trends will continue this year.
Other Publications
- WIRED: Why Everyone Is Suddenly in a ‘Very Chinese Time’ in Their Lives — The viral meme isn’t really about China or actual Chinese people. It’s a symbol of what Americans believe their own country has lost.
- Foreign Affairs: How America Can Stop Getting Played by China — Breaking Beijing’s Hold on the Global Economy.
- The Economist: Xi Jinping is carrying Deng Xiaoping’s authoritarian torch — Many see China’s leader as a counter-reformer. But he is really an heir.
- Rest of World: China steers the Gulf’s driverless future as U.S. rivals stay home — WeRide, Baidu, and Pony.ai are scaling robotaxi fleets across the Gulf while Waymo and Cruise focus on domestic markets.
